Stephen Glass, a freelance political writer is found to be hiding a dark secret, having fabricated every story he has ever written as fact. His web of lies and secrecy starts to untangle and everyone he loves and respects is out to find out how much Stephen Glass has made up.

Quick Movie Reviews

In my first viewing, I was very underwhelmed by this movie. I heard a lot of good hype surrounding it and was expecting to be blown away. The film was a big dissapointment. However, in rewatching it I really enjoyed and was pulled in by the drama and situations surrounding the characters. Overall, Well acted and well played out. Very underrated.

Full Movie Reviews

A fascinating study of journalistic malpractice that follows the true story of a young college journalist Stephen Glass (played by Hayden Christensen) who goes to work for a Washington magazine known for factual and political articles and is later accused of falsifying his news articles. While the story is relatively simple, a lot of tension is generated as the well liked writer tries to wriggle out of sticky situations when he is discovered by one of the editors Chuck Lane (played by Peter Sarsgaad). Chuck begins to backtrack most of Glass's stories, after receiving knowledge from a competing newspaper that implies Glass's articles are packed with lies at best, and completely fabricated at worst. The supporting cast Hank Azaria, Steve Zahn, Rosario Dawson and ChloŽ Sevigny are also grea...

(...& under appreciated!)
Hayden Christensen's best performance to date as far as I'm concerned. He portrayed the weaselly, desperate for acceptance, dishonest journalist Stephan Glass to perfection. From his nervous mannerisms and uneasy expressions while stumbling over words, to his urgent panicking eyes. You're torn between feeling either disgust, or sorry for him.

The always great Peter Sarsgaard puts in his all to his part as well, and the arguments between he and Christensen when the wreck goes down are charged and intense.

They also made the smart choice to lay out the long process an article goes through before being printed, which I'm sure many don't realize. The pressures and stress of these journalists are immense.

I've forgotten how much affection I had for this film because it was one of those movies that I saw in transition from being a casual moviegoer to someone who really loves the cinema. This came out a year after "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" and it proved to me that Hayden Christensen can indeed act. I hated him as Anakin Skywalker (with a passion) but I found him charming in "Shattered Glass." Even though I knew what would eventually happen to his character, in that twisted way, I wanted him to not get caught regardless of all his misdeeds. I wanted him to pull a Tom Ripley and started killing everyone that gets in his way. Of course, this was based on actual events so none of those expectations was fulfilled. Still, for a guy who lied to the public time and time again, I...